Specifically, pushing on the crane will allow the cylinder to rotate into position unimpeded, should the hand be cut long and prone to engaging the star more than the average revo should/would. It also does not apply leverage to an unsupported structure. If you are under stress, and are pushing at the middle to rear of the cylinder, anything coming into the frame gap will become locked in there. If the object has any rigidity (e.g., uniform brass button, brass or stainless zipper pull, you can generate enough fore to bend the crane. If you use the traditional reload method of pushing the cylinder out, using 2 finger of the left hand, inverting, hitting the ejector, dropping in a reload and closing the cylinder, you will find your thumb naturally positioned next to the crane arm. If you drop in the reload, and begin to draw the left hand back towards firing grip, your natural motion will be to push on the rear of the cylinder. This goes back to old school, high-stress absolute control of your revolver. I've seen this used in training, but not as a "general" rule of thumb.surprise_i'm_armed wrote: ↑Sun May 26, 2019 3:29 pmWith regard to closing the cylinder on a revolver, Ken is shown on the video placing his fingers on the cylinder and pushing it closed, which is much better than snapping it sharply to the right to close it.
However, before Gander Mountain Frisco closed (shortly after opening, by the way!), a gentleman working the gun counter opined to me that the best way to close a revolver is to push on the crane, instead of the cylinder.
What does anyone think about pushing on a revolver's crane to close the cylinder, as opposed to pushing the cylinder itself? Would pushing on the crane somehow assure that the cylinder was positioned optimally for firing?
SIA
I've carried and worked on a wide variety of small arms. Wilson, Brown, etc., were always waaaay too much for me to consider carrying, and shop tolerances were, IMHO, way too tight for something other than a range show piece. For most pistols, 500-1000 rounds is making sure everything works the way it should. The custom guns generally take at least 500 to build in enough slack to ensure the piece will actually operate, with another 500-1000 rounds before you can say it goes bang every time.
At the other end, I talked on the phone with Ashley Emerson, when he first started Ashley Express Sights (sold, now "XS Sights"). He did a demo for Jeff Cooper, at Gunsite. The sights impressed Cooper and the instructors, but they asked why Emerson put his sights on a "toy", i.e., Glock. Emerson pulled out his 17, cleared the chamber, inserted a loaded mag, and hurled it at a pile of rocks in a gorge. They all went down to retrieve his pistol. Everyone eared up, and Emerson emptied the mag into the hillside. He asked who would replicate the demo with the 1911s on hand. Dead silence, then laughter.
All that to say, some platforms are demonstrably more tolerant of abuse than others.
